About Languedoc-Roussillon

Until the 1980s the wines of Languedoc-Roussillon were mostly rustic, roasted, and dirt-cheap--of little interest to export markets. But wine production in this sun-drenched, crescent-shaped region hugging the Mediterranean from the Rhone delta to the Spanish border has undergone a sea change in recent years. Today the Languedoc-Roussillon offers wine lovers more ripe, textured red wine for under $20 than just about any other grape-growing zone on the planet.

Most Languedoc-Roussillon red wines are blends. For years, the indigenous, ubiquitous Carignane grape, which at high production levels tastes like nothing at all, was widely complemented or replaced by more ""noble"" Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Mourvedre and Merlot; but today Carignane is beginning to make a comeback. Cinsaut, which has a long history in this region, remains prominent in the entry-level bottlings of many producers. As a rule, though, today's top Languedoc wines, with their generally higher content of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre, are darker, more vibrant, and more refined than ever.

While the Languedoc and Roussillon appellations are usually lumped together, wines made in these two areas are typically quite distinct in style. The Languedoc, located closer to the Rhone Valley, produces everything from juicy, fruit bombs meant for immediate pleasure to more serious, full-bodied, and structured wines that call to mind the best examples from the Rhone Valley. Roussillon, on the other hand, is an essentially Catalan region near France's border with Spain, producing distinctly warm wines of near-roasted ripeness--so ripe, in fact, that most consumers are familiar only with the late-harvest and fortified wines of the region. One aromatic element that infuses many of the Roussillon wines from across this region is that of garrigue , the wild and pungently herbal/spicy brush that dots hillsides along France's Mediterranean coast.

About France

France is the fountainhead of the grape varieties most craved by North American wine drinkers: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. In fact, these grapes are widely referred to as "international" varieties because they have been planted and imitated all over the world. Of course, one of the most exciting developments in wine over the past generation has been the growth of intriguing local styles of these varieties, such as Pinot Noir in Oregon and New Zealand, or Syrah in Australia, South Africa, and California. But most cosmopolitan wine-lovers -- and even winemakers -- would agree that French wines are the archetypes.

France enjoys the perfect geographic position for the production of a wide range of fine wines. Its relatively northerly location ensures long hours of daylight during the summer months and an extended growing season, allowing for the slow and steady accumulation of flavor in the grapes. Although the country as a whole enjoys a temperate climate, conditions can vary significantly within a limited land mass: cool and Atlantic-influenced; continental, with very cold winters and hot summers; warm and Mediterranean, with wet winters and dry summers.

Wines of France

France began classifying its best French wine-producing sites more than 200 years ago. Its detailed appellation controlee system, designed in the 1930s, has served as the model for classification systems adopted by other countries in Europe and elsewhere. Appellation d'Origine Controlee (often abbreviated to AOC), means "controlled place name" and is the consumer's assurance of the origin and authenticity of any French wine whose label bears these words.

AOC laws, administered by France's INAO (Institut National des Appellations d'Origine), establish the geographic limits of each appellation, permissable grape varieties and methods of production, minimum alcohol level, and maximum crop level (or yield) per hectare. Just beneath the highest category of appellation controlee is the comparatively tiny category of VDQS (Vins Delimites de Qualite Superieure), wines which may eventually be promoted to AC status and which are most commonly found in the Loire Valley and the Southwest. The third category is Vins de Pays, or "country wines". This latter category gives producers, including some of the more adventurous French wine growers, an escape route from the straitjacket of AC regulation in terms of higher permitted yields and less restrictive geography, a wider range of legal grape varieties, and fewer restrictions as to method of production and minimum age of vines. Finally, at the bottom of the pyramid, there are Vins de Table, or simple "table wines."

And yet, despite France's illustrious wine history and the fact that it is still the world's leading producer of wine, the country is struggling to compete in the international market. Today, France faces fierce competition from New World wine producers. U.S. imports of French wines actually declined, in number ofcases, between the end of 2002 and early 2006 -- this during a period when overall wine consumption in the U.S. grew by more than 50 percent.

Today, the French government is agonizing over how to help French wine producers, who are also facing homegrown challenges such as changing domestic drinking habits and an aggressive anti-alcohol abuse program. Wine producers in some regions of France are coming to view the AC system itself as an obstacle to selling wines to North America and other important export markets. Among the changes being considered are loosening restrictions on what can be planted where and on how wines can be made, and allowing producers in certain areas to indicate the grape variety or varieties on their labels -- rather than simply the place name, which is less meaningful to consumers in many of France's key export markets.

About Grenache

Flavor Profile

Intense, ripe, fruity wines

One of the more versatile red grapes in the world, Grenache thrives in southern France and Spain (where it is known as Garnacha). Ranging in style from light and fruity to deep, brooding and intense; the grape also suits a variety of ambitions: Grenache can be used in inexpensive wines that offer immediate satisfaction, but it is also successful in barrel-aged, cellar-worthy wines that don't come cheaply.

Grenache vines tend to perform best in dry and hot growing regions. For example, in the southern Rhone, Grenache is the dominant grape in the appellation of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, which has emerged within the last decade as one of the "hottest" categories in the North American market. These wines are generally 75-80 percent Grenache, generally with some Syrah and Mourvedre blended in to provide color, spiciness, and complexity. Even in the space of this one appellation, we find that wines range from restrained middleweight entries to low-alcohol, high-acid powerhouses that ooze ripe fruit. The latter wines are responsible for much of the current attention being paid to the area. For rich, Grenache-dominated wines, look to bottlings from Clos du Caillou, Deomaine de Marcoux, and Chateau Rayas.

Elsewhere in the Rhone Valley, many wines produced under the Cotes du Rhone appellation are also dominated by Grenache. Compared to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, these wines are significantly less expensive and can't compare with regard to richness and intensity. Still, we can recommend the more interesting entries on their own merits: bright fruit flavors and immediacy. Look to Chateau Pesquie and Chateau de Segries.

Further down the Mediterranean, Grenache (or, rather, Garancha) shines in the up-and-coming Spanish region of Priorat. In this rugged, rocky area in Catalonia, ancient vineyards have recently been upgraded, and production has shifted from bulk wines to high-quality bottlings. These wines are either 100 percent Garancha, or they also have some Carignane blended in. Expect inky wines with both sweetness and spice. We like the offerings from Cellar Vall Llach and Clos Erasmus.

Rhone varieties have become increasingly popular in New World vineyards, and Grenache is no exception here. In California and Australia, these wines can be even more rich and luscious than their Old-World cousins. From California, we recommend wines from Alban Vineyards and Beckmen Vineyards; while in Australia, we like Clarendon Hills.

Single varietal Grenache wines as well as Grenache-dominated blends are best paired with grilled meats, stews, and game.